INTERNATIONAL GENOME RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM FOR CENTRAL ANDEASTERN EUROPE

 

NIH GUIDE, Volume 21, Number 14, April 10, 1992

 

PA NUMBER:  PA-92-68

 

P.T. 34



Keywords:

  Human Genome 

  Nucleic Acid Sequencing 

  Computer Storage & Retrieval 

 

National Center for Human Genome Research

Fogarty International Center

 

PURPOSE

 

The purpose of the International Genome Research Fellowship Program

is to provide opportunities for Central and Eastern European

scientists who are in the formative stages of their research careers

to obtain further training in U.S. laboratories, to exchange ideas

and information about the latest advances in mapping and sequencing

technology, and to improve the research potential of the fellow's

home institution to pursue genomic research.  For the purposes of

this program, Central and Eastern Europe is defined as Bulgaria, the

Czech and Slovak Federal Republic, Hungary, Estonia, Latvia,

Lithuania, Poland, Romania, all republics of the (former) U.S.S.R.,

and Yugoslavia.

 

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

 

To be eligible for an International Genome Research Fellowship, the

applicant must:

 

o  be a citizen of a Central or Eastern European country;

 

o  have a Ph.D., M.D., or equivalent degree and no more than 10 years

of postdoctoral experience in genetics, molecular biology, or other

discipline that can be applied to genome research such as computer

sciences, chemistry, physics, mathematics, or engineering;

 

o  have demonstrated an ability to engage in research;

 

o  have assurance of a position to which he/she can return on

completion of the fellowship;

 

o  be proficient in the English language; and

 

o  obtain an invitation to work with a U.S. scientist who will act as

collaborator and host.

 

MECHANISM OF SUPPORT

 

Fellowships will be supported through the International Research

Fellowship (F05) mechanism.  The minimum award period is 12 months

and the maximum award period is 24 months.  Fellowships will be

awarded for a period of 12 to 24 months in the U.S.  The fellowship

provides:

 

o  Living Allowance:  The fellowship does not provide for a salary or

stipend; instead, awardees will receive a living allowance of $2,000

per month while in the U.S. to cover the cost of housing and meals;

 

o  Travel:  Round-trip fare, economy class between the fellow's home

and the fellowship site on a U.S. air carrier; and

 

o  Institutional Allowance:  The award will provide an institutional

allowance of $1,200 per month to the U.S. host institution to cover

the cost of health insurance and research supplies.

 

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

 

This fellowship program has been developed to facilitate research on

the Human Genome Project, an international program to map and

sequence the genomes of humans and other model organisms.  Fellowship

applications are encouraged in the following areas:

 

o  construction of high-resolution genetic maps, comprised of DNA

markers with an average spacing of 2 centimorgans, and gaps no

greater than 5 centimorgans, each identified by a "sequence-tagged

site;"

 

o  construction of high-resolution physical maps of chromosomes in

which contigs of at least 2 million base pairs are unambiguously

ordered and identified by "sequence-tagged sites," spaced about

100,000 base pairs apart;

 

o  development of new and/or improvement of existing methods for DNA

sequencing that are capable of significantly reducing the cost of

sequencing;

 

o  development of computer tools, information systems, and strategies

for collecting, storing, retrieving, analyzing, interpreting and

distributing large amounts of mapping and sequencing data; and

 

o  technology development to support all of the above objectives.

 

The program is open to scientists early in their careers.  More

established scientists are referred to the International Genome

Research Collaborative Program.

 

Prospective applicants and U.S. sponsors must have a clear

understanding about the goals of the fellowship and the specific

genome research project to be pursued.  Fellowship recipients will be

expected to bring to the U.S. sponsor's institution the knowledge,

professional background, and intellectual commitment that will make

the fellowship a mutually enriching experience for the fellow and the

U.S. host.

 

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

 

Prospective applicants must make applications through the U.S.

institutions of the sponsors.  Special application kits must be

obtained from the Fogarty International Center (See INQUIRIES).  A

prospective applicant must:

 

o  describe the benefits of the fellowship to the applicant, the U.S.

host, and the foreign applicant's institution;

 

o  describe how the fellowship will enhance the applicant's ability

to pursue genomic research upon return to the home institution;

 

o  include a letter of invitation from the U.S. sponsor and the

sponsor's portion of the application completed by the U.S. host; and

 

o  the application must be submitted through the U.S. institution of

the sponsor.

 

Receipt date(s) for completed applications are September 10, January

10, and May 10 of each year.

 

Completed applications must be addressed to:

 

IRAB - IGRF

Fogarty International Center

National Institutes of Health

Building 31, Room B2C39

Bethesda, MD  20892

 

REVIEW PROCEDURES

 

Applications will be assigned on the basis of established Public

Health Service referral guidelines.  All fellowship applications will

be reviewed for scientific and technical merit in accordance with the

standard NIH peer review procedures.  The following review criteria

will be used:

 

o  Scientific merit of the research to be undertaken by the fellow

under the guidance of the sponsor;

 

o  relevance of the proposed research to biomedical problems;

 

o  adequacy of the educational background and research experience of

the applicant to undertake the proposed research;

 

o  whether or not the proposed research can be completed within the

fellowship period;

 

o  the institutional environment in which the research will be

carried out;

 

o  the compatibility of the objectives stated by the applicant and

those envisaged by the sponsor; and

 

o  whether or not the proposed research will provide a significant

expansion in knowledge beyond what the applicant is obtaining if he

or she is already working in a U.S. institution.

 

The second level of review will be performed by the appropriate NIH

funding component.

 

AWARD CRITERIA

 

For applications assigned to the National Center for Human Genome

Research (NCHGR), the following criteria will be considered in making

funding decisions:

 

o  the relevance of this training program to the goals of the Human

Genome Program;

 

o  the quality of the training experience as determined by peer

review;

 

o  potential of this collaboration to accelerate progress on the

Human Genome Project;

 

o  availability of funds; and

 

o  if appropriate, the protections accorded human subjects and

vertebrate animals and the appropriate inclusion of minorities and

women if clinical studies are to be awarded.

 

Applicants will be notified of their status in writing approximately

eight weeks following the initial review of applications and the

awards will be issued by the appropriate NIH funding component.  On

receipt of the Notice of Research Fellowship Award, the fellowship

may be activated within six months of the award date.

 

INQUIRIES

 

Inquiries about this fellowship and requests for application kits

must be directed to:

 

Dr. David A. Wolff

International Genomic Research Fellowship Program

International Research and Awards Branch

Fogarty International Center

Building 31, Room B2C39

Bethesda, MD  20892

USA

Telephone:  (301) 496-1653

FAX:  (301) 402-0779

 

For information on the Human Genome Program, contact:

 

Bettie J. Graham, Ph.D.

Chief, Research Grants Branch

National Center for Human Genome Research

Building 38A, Room 610

Bethesda, MD  20892

Telephone:  (301) 496-7531

E-MAIL:  B2G@CU.NIH.GOV

 

For grants management and fiscal matters, contact:

 

Ms. Alice Thomas

Chief, Grants and Contracts Management Branch

National Center for Human Genome Research

Building 38A, Room 613

Bethesda, MD  20892

Telephone:  (301) 402-0733

E-Mail:  AT3@CU.NIH.GOV

 

AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS

 

This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance No. 93.172.  Awards are made under authorization of the

Public Health Service Act, Title IV, Part A (Public Law 78-410, as

amended by Public Law 99-158, 42 USC 241 and 285) and administered

under PHS grants policies and Federal Regulations 42 CFR 52 and 45

CFR Part 74.  This program is not subject to the intergovernmental

review requirements of Executive Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency

review.

 

.


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